Terminal clip



Oct. 24, 1944. v, M. PER ECA 2,360,974

TERMINAL CLIP Filed April 29, 1943 y iNVENTOR. v l'z inza. M'Bmem. BY

Pzftented Oct. 24, 1944 TERMINAL CLIP Virginia M. Perreca, Detroit, Mich., assignor of fifty-one per cent to Baldassare Viola, Detroit,

Mich.

Application April 29, 1943, Serial No. 485,029

1 Claim. 01. 173-259) This invention relates to improvements in terminal clips, and refers particularly to such clips which are employed for connecting leads to battery terminals. v

It is an object of the invention to provide a very simple and effective terminal clip consisting merely of a plate having a socket at one extremity to receive a lead, and curved at its other extremity to form a seat against which a portion of a terminal is held by a fastening member which extends through an opening formed through the plate intermediately of its length and is secured relative to the said plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a terminal clip wherein one extremity of the fastening member is curved to bear against a portion of the periphery of the terminal and is threaded at its opposite extremity so that when a nut thereon is tightened against the plate the terminal is securely held between the member and plate. Moreover since the member and plate only contact the terminal around relatively small and opposite portions of its periphery a complete electrical contact is made when the nut is tightened even if the terminal is not completely round, or if it is either over or under size. Or again, within limits, the clip may be satisfactorily employed for terminals of slightly different sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a terminal clip consisting of only two simple parts held together by a nut, thereby reducing the amount of material required to a minimum.

Having thus briefly and broadly stated some of the objects and advantages of the invention I will now proceed to describe it with the aid of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figures 3 and 4 show two slight modifications thereof.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a plate having a socket 2 at one extremity to receive a lead (not shown). The opposite extremity of the plate I is curved to form a seat 3 to receive a portion of the periphery of terminal 4. Formed through the plate I intermediately of its length is an opening 5.

A fastening member 6 is curved at one extremity I to bear against a part of the periphery of the terminal 4 which is diametrically opposite that portion of the terminal which rests against the seat 3. The opposite extremity 8 of the fastening member 6 is of circular section and threaded. This threaded extremity 8 extends through the opening 5 which is only slightly larger than the threaded extremity and has a nut 9 thereon which i tightened against the plate I. Both the relatively small size of the opening 5 and the bearing of the nut 9 against the plate insure firm engagement of the terminal 4 betwieen the curved extremity I and the seat 3. It will also be seen that the contacts made by these parts with the terminal extend around only a relatively small portion of the circumference of the latter, so that variations in size of the terminal or deformations thereon do not in any way impair the contact thus made; and again the inner end of the threaded extremity 8 of the fastening member 6 should project above the top of the plate I to permit extra downward adjustment of the fastening member in case the terminal 4 is smaller than usual.

In Figure 1 the fastening member 6 is shown in the form of a bolt having one side of its head curved laterally outward toward its extremity. In the modification shown in Figure 3 the fastening member 6 consists of a flat plate similarly curved longitudinally toward its extremity 1 to engage the periphery of the terminal, and in the modification shown in Figure 4 the fastening member is shown of circular section throughout its length threaded from its extremity 8 and curved longitudinally toward its extremity I. In all cases the operation is identical and as above described.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described and shown, it is understood that further alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A terminal clip including a plate having a socket formed at one extremity and being curved at its other extremity to form a seat to receive a portion of the periphery of a terminal, said plate having an opening therethrough intermediately of its length, a fastening member of circular cross section throughout its length threaded from one extremity and curved at the other to bear against the portion of the terminal diametrically opposite the portion of the latter bearing against said seat, the threaded portion of the fastening member extending through the plate opening, and a nut on the threaded portion whereby the curved extremity of the member may be drawn into firm engagement with said terminal.

VIRGINIA M. PERRECA. 

